The Big Mac Blogtag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-941619915241285252014-12-18T18:00:00-06:00TypePadTony Romo MVP chances suffering from the Troy Aikman syndrometag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54f7fc4c5883301b7c7232ed5970b2014-12-18T18:00:00-06:002014-12-18T18:00:00-06:00IRVING, Texas - Tony Romo told us in the preseason he was going to be the best version of himself, and he has been right. This the best this man has ever played since becoming the starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys in 2006, yet he is not being considered...Star-Telegram

IRVING, Texas - Tony Romo told us in the preseason he was going to be the best version of himself, and he has been right. This the best this man has ever played since becoming the starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys in 2006, yet he is not being considered as an MVP candidate.

He deserves some credit for the season he is having on a wrecked back.

Romo can blame running back DeMarco Murray for suffering from the Troy Aikman syndrome - not receiving proper credit because the supporting cast is so effective. Aikman is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, won three Super Bowls, and yet never won an NFL MVP award. He was, however, named the '92 Super Bowl MVP. And he was named the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year ... so he has that going for him, which is nice.

Tony Romo should be in the discussion as the 2014 NFL MVP candidate, but so far the names in that debate are Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, J.J. Watt, Peyton Manning and possibly even Murray.

The argument for Brady is so strong that no one else should win it, and his wife is Gisele Bundchen. In fairness to Brady, Rodgers' girlfriend is Olivia Munn, so ....

The Cowboys are not the Cowboys without Romo. They are not 10-4 and leading the NFC East without Romo. If they finish 12-4 and win the NFC's top seed, Romo needs to be second to Brady, or ahead.

Romo has thrown for 3,188 yards (15th in the NFL) with 28 touchdowns (7th) and eight interceptions. His passer rating of 110.4 is just behind Rodgers for the league lead. Romo's completion percentage of 69.3 is just a few ticks behind Drew Brees' 70.0.

The problem an NFL MVP voter would have is that the Cowboys' offense is more Murray-centric, thereby taking the load off Romo. The same thing was said about Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman in the '90s.

Murray has rushed for an NFL-leading rushing 1,687 yards and easily been this league's most durable player in terms of touches.

Buuuuut ... in the one game Romo did not play, against the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 2 in Arlington, the Cowboys offense did not score a touchdown until the game was gone, they lost, and Murray did not rush for 100 yards.

The quarterback position has become nearly an automatic MVP winner for every team, and Romo belongs in the same category as Manning (the older one), Rodgers and Brady. Their teams are zero without them.

Romo said he would be the best version of himself, and he has been right. I asked him if this is the best he has ever played.

"I think you keep improving as a player, or if you don't I don't see the joy in going the other direction," he said. "If you haven't improved from the previous year, or years, I think you are doing yourself a disservice. I think I continue to grow as player and I think it's shown in certain areas.

This December, Romo has thrown six touchdowns and no interceptions. In road games this season, he has 18 touchdown passes and one pick. He has done it all with a wrecked back, too.

He has been the best version of himself, and is deserving to be considered an MVP candidate but the Troy Aikman syndrome will prevent this from happening.

History is on the Mavericks side in trading for Rajon Rondotag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54f7fc4c5883301b7c722c708970b2014-12-18T07:02:10-06:002014-12-18T07:02:10-06:00The Boston Celtics have been trying to trade point guard Rajon Rondo for years, and now the Dallas Mavericks are the latest to dip their toe into this scenario. DO. THIS. TODAY. NOW. YESTERDAY. The Mavs need a point guard, a perimeter defender, and Rondo is one of the best....Star-Telegram

The Mavs need a point guard, a perimeter defender, and Rondo is one of the best.

According to veteran NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, the Mavericks have/are discussing a potential deal to bring the All-Star guard to Mark Cuban's toy. Celtics GM Danny Ainge has been dangling Rondo for more than a year as he is trying to rebuild Boston's team into something more than a giant green loser.

On paper, the Mavericks do not have enough to offer Ainge to acquire Rondo, but ... history says Mavs GM Donnie Nelson can pull one over on Ainge.

Rondo, 28, can be a free agent next summer. He averages 8.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game this season. The Celtics are 9-14 this season, and would not be a playoff team in the God-awful Eastern Conference.

The question is not the willingness of the Mavs to do this, but rather do they have enough for Ainge to move his most valuable commodity (other than coach Brad Stevens)? No.

But ... there is history that says the Mavs can wrong the Celtics.

On Oct. 2003, the Mavs dealt Raef LaFrentz, Chris Mills, Jiri Welsch, a first round pick to the Celtics for Tony Delk and Antoine Walker. Now, all of these players made no impact on these respective teams, but the triumph is that Mavs could deal LaFrentz in the first place.

In July of '02, the Mavs - for some reason - signed LaFrentz to a seven-year, $67 million contract. It was one of the worst contracts in the history of the franchise, and it appeared to be all but un-tradeable.

That Nelson was able to convince the Celtics to take LaFrentz and that awful deal remains one of the greatest achievements in FW/d sports history.

Acquiring Rondo from the Celtics, given what the Mavs have to offer, seems like a reach.But it is no less of a reach than was trading Raef LaFrentz.

Celebrate the Baylor football player who followed his hearttag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54f7fc4c5883301bb07c6f195970d2014-12-17T16:13:32-06:002014-12-17T16:17:18-06:00Not everybody who plays sports at a high level loves it, but they do it because they are good. They may not love ball, but they play ball because it is a means to a free education, or a six figure check. Former Baylor offensive lineman Danny Watkins didn't care...Star-Telegram

Not everybody who plays sports at a high level loves it, but they do it because they are good. They may not love ball, but they play ball because it is a means to a free education, or a six figure check.

Former Baylor offensive lineman Danny Watkins didn't care about the money, and he never cared that much about football.

Mac Engel: If you weren't playing football what would you be doing?Danny Watkins: Back home in Canada working as a firefighter. That's all I ever wanted to do. It's a great job and I worked with the greatest bunch of guys in the world. You'll never find a better bunch of guys.

Watkins is a Canadian who found football late, played at a junior college before Baylor coach Art Briles recruited him to play in Waco. Watkins was big, fast, athletic, smart, and his humility was disarming. Both Watkins and his story were huge hits after both before and after the 2011 NFL draft.

When Watkins had extra time with the Eagles, he didn't spend it on game film or with his teammates. He was at local firehouses.

He just wasn't a very good pro because he didn't care. His heart was elsewhere.

The Nicest Man in the World - Andrew Lucktag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54f7fc4c5883301b8d0abd0d9970c2014-12-17T13:26:32-06:002014-12-17T13:26:32-06:00IRVING, Texas - Blame a distinct lack of original thought and or creativity to simply follow the lead of this Wall Street Journal article that says Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Andrew Luck is a supreme trash talker. If you have ever met Luck, or heard his sound bites from games, you...Star-Telegram

If you have ever met Luck, or heard his sound bites from games, you will quickly learn he is polite and humble to a fault. That his form of trash talking is to kill 'em with kindness.

This is the guy on the playground basketball court who congratulates the guy after he dunks in his face.

In that article, player after player have stories about Luck's legendary kindness and decency to his opponents. He will congratulate defenders after they sack him. And it's sincere. He is just a nice guy.

"I don't know if it's trash talking," Luck said when I asked him if it's sincere on a conference call. "I generally keep my mouth shut. I think every since I played any type of organized sports I've always gone into games with a respect for the other guys and other players. I guess that is a part of my personality."

It really helps Luck is 6-foot-4, 240 pounds. The man can take, and deliver, a hit in a way few quarterbacks can. It also helps his dad is former NFL QB Oliver Luck, who showed his son there is a certain way to play.

I asked Colts coach Chuck Pagano if his QB is actually a trash talker, and what followed was a few seconds of laughter.

"I don't think so - you guys have read the same stuff that I've read," Pagano said. "No. He doesn't talk any trash. I guess he has his little spin on things and he plays the game and communicates with opponents and teammates. It's kinda unique. I guess it's Andrew being Andrew."

TCU has elected to be all-in on this bowl seasontag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54f7fc4c5883301bb07c5d25c970d2014-12-16T17:24:59-06:002014-12-16T21:43:17-06:00FORT WORTH, Texas - There are 39 bowls this holiday season, three of which have weight: The Rose Bowl, The Sugar Bowl, and the National Title game. The rest are what you the fan, and each individual team, make of the game and the experience. No one could blame TCU...Star-Telegram

FORT WORTH, Texas - There are 39 bowls this holiday season, three of which have weight: The Rose Bowl, The Sugar Bowl, and the National Title game.

The rest are what you the fan, and each individual team, make of the game and the experience.

No one could blame TCU or Baylor for pouting and not being engaged in their respective postseason games. To come so close to the games that matter only to not be selected can be deflating.

If you are a TCU fan or player or coach, you can pout and either not attend or simply not give a flip about playing Ole Miss in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year's Eve in Atlanta. Or you can make the best of it, despite the disappointment of not reaching either the Sugar or Rose Bowl.

"How do you it make a positive? For me, this is an unbelievable opportunity for us," TCU head coach Gary Patterson said Tuesday. "For us, it's about building a resume."

TCU has experienced both sides. In 1998, the Horned Frogs were a surprise invitee to the Sun Bowl against USC. The Frogs were thrilled to be in El Paso whereas USC wanted no part of it. TCU upset USC, 28-19.

In 2000, TCU began the season 7-0 and was flirting with a potential BCS bid. But the Frogs were upset at San Jose State in November, and by the time it reached the Mobile Alabama Bowl, head coach Dennis Franchione had left, running back LaDainian Tomlinson was exhausted and the team was checked out. They lost the bowl game to Southern Miss, 28-21.

One of the potential side of effects of a playoff system is that delineates the games "that matter" from those that do not. How that demarkation effects ticket sales and TV ratings will be closely monitored. One Cotton Bowl executive told me he does believe it will eventually hurt some of the "other bowls", and many of those games will eventually cease to exist.

"This is the first year we have gone through this, and so far it hasn't (made selling the game any harder)," Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan told me. "We haven't seen it. My belief is that if you can regionalize the games beneath the playoff games, that is a recipe for success."

The Peach Bowl, which for years had ties to the ACC and SEC conferences, will be OK. This is about as attractive of "another bowl" as a game can be. The game is located in an easily-reached, major city that has decent weather with a large airport. The opponents are ranked close enough that both TCU and Ole Miss should be engaged.

No, it's not the Rose Bowl or Sugar Bowl, but the Peach Bowl is the next best thing and TCU has decided to make the best of it.

Cowboys Post Op No. 14: The Eagles learned a lesson - don't taunt Deztag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54f7fc4c5883301b8d0a9c7c7970c2014-12-15T09:38:13-06:002014-12-15T10:54:22-06:00PHILADELPHIA – The question was not asked, but what was Bradley Fletcher thinking? Unless he forgot, or is just stupid, the cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles had to know he was going to face the Cowboys and receiver Dez Bryant again in two weeks. Why would he suggest, after the...Star-Telegram

PHILADELPHIA – The question was not asked, but what was Bradley Fletcher thinking?

Unless he forgot, or is just stupid, the cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles had to know he was going to face the Cowboys and receiver Dez Bryant again in two weeks. Why would he suggest, after the Eagles defeated the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, that his team got into Dez Bryant’s head?

“I guess we got in his mind,” Fletcher said after that beatdown at JerryWorld on Thanksgiving. Even if Fletcher was right, which he was, he essentially teased and taunted an uncaged tiger that has an attitude, and a memory. At one point in that game, Fletcher mocked Dez with a “throw up the X” at Cowboys fans.

Maybe Fletcher was right, which explains why Dez personally made it a mission to embarrass Fletcher and the entire Eagles’ secondary in Philadelphia on Sunday night. However deep Fletcher believed both he and his teammates got into Dez’s mind on Thanksgiving, No. 88 used a drill to bore a hull into the skull of Eagles’ secondary on Sunday. Fletcher got what he deserved.

Dez caught six passes for 114 yards with three touchdowns – all with Fletcher “covering.” Of the many components on Sunday that bared zero resemblance to that game on Thanksgiving, none was more of a 180 than Dez v. Fletcher.

In that first game, Dez was limited to four catches for 73 yards. The eyeball test said Fletcher dominated Dez in that game, and that the Eagles did indeed frustrate the man.

“I don’t think about none of that. I think about our offense. Us being on the same page and us talking to one another,” Dez said after the game. “Just stay focused. We don’t think about what is going on in our opponent’s head.” Yeah – I don’t believe him, either.

There is no way a man as competitive and as demonstrative as Dez Bryant did not store some of that game on Thanksgiving in his brain and apply it to Sunday night. Why the Eagles kept Fletcher in single coverage after he burned them is a mystery, but, “That’s their defense,” Bryant said.

The eyeball test on Sunday night said Fletcher didn’t belong on the same field with Dez. It helped that unlike the game on Thanksgiving, Dez’s quarterback was not seeing ghosts, throwing off the wrong foot, and the offensive line actually blocked. Romo’s passes were on target, and the last two touchdown passes to Bryant were beautifully thrown.

Of the plays Bryant made on Sunday, none was any more stunning than his second-half catch when the Eagles decided simply not to cover him. At all. Romo’s 15-yard pass to Bryant midway through the fourth quarter was notable because no Eagle defender was within eight yards of the receiver. Considering how ineffective the Eagles’ secondary was against Dez, not covering him yielded the same result as Bradley Fletcher.

The Eagles had to know some of this was coming. Before the game, NBC cameras caught Bryant “chatting” with Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins during warmups. What was playful jawing appeared to escalate into a more serious tone as the two had to be politely separated by teammates. “Couple of words were exchanged,” Bryant said. “That’s two great competitors getting focused and ready for the game.” Dez was ready. The Eagles were not.

...

* Of the many encouraging signs on Sunday, the mobility of Tony Romo is near the top for the Cowboys. Unlike the game on Thanksgiving, where Romo went out his way to protect his back, he moved the way he expects on Sunday night.

One play in particular demonstrated he is not a statue.

Midway through the third quarter, Eagles defensive lineman Fletcher Cox had Romo setup for a back-bruising sack only to tackle air when Romo used his famous spin to escape the rush. Rather than take a 10-yard sack, he completed a 12-yard pass to tight end James Hanna.

On the road this season, where the Cowboys are 7-0, Romo has 18 touchdown passes and one interception.

* Earlier on Sunday afternoon, QB Johnny Manziel made his first career NFL start for the ClevelandBrowns, and later in the evening guard Zack Martin made his 14th career NFL start for the Cowboys. As we all know, it was Jerry Jones who wanted Johnny Football in the draft rather than Martin.

Predictably, John Football was awful in his NFL starting debut.

Martin is arguably the Cowboys’ best offensive lineman this season, and he should earn a few NFL Rookie of the Year votes.

I asked him if he thought he would win. “No. I don’t think so,” he said. “Don’t think they are going to give it to a guard.” Every time the Cowboys play on NBC, color analyst Chris Collinsworth runs out of words in praise of Martin.

“That’s my guy,” Martin said of Collinsworth. “He’s a Notre Dame guy.” Collinsworth actually played at Florida. His son, Austin, plays at Notre Dame and was a teammate of Martin’s.

* With an 8:30 p.m. local start, approximately 13 people were sober when walking into Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night. The NFL gets what it deserves with these absurdly late local times on the East Coast when fans drink too much as they have been doing nothing but “partying” – which has officially become a synonym for alcohol consumption – all day.

* The official NFL play by play reads that the Eagles’ returner Josh Huff muffed the opening short kickoff by Dan Bailey, which was recovered by C.J. Spillman of the Cowboys that led to quick touchdown. It would be a lot more fun if the NFL just said it was the longest onside kick in recorded history. As KRLD sideline reporter Kristi Scales noted, there was a downdraft that knocked down the kick and made that bizarre play possible.

* DeMarco Murray may finish as the NFL’s leading rusher this season, but when he looks back at his hope to break 2,000 yards and perhaps catch Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record he can “thank” the Eagles.

No team has done more damage to Murray’s great season than Philly. On Sunday night, he ran the ball 31 times for 81 yards with two touchdowns. Considering the Cowboys had the ball for more than 41 minutes, it is difficult to say Murray had a bad night.

He averaged 2.6 yards per rush, and the Cowboys as a team averaged but 2.7 yards per carry. Those types of numbers seldom result in 42 rushing attempts, or wins.

Murray has been held under 100 yards three times this season, two against the Eagles. In the two games against the Eagles, he has rushed 51 times for 154 yards with three scores. He is on pace to rush for 1,928 yards this season. He could get fat against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday; that defense ranks 15th against the rush.

* Mark Sanchez is a nice backup, but not capable of winning a game when its solely on his right arm. When the Eagles fell behind 21-0, it meant more Sanchez and eventually he was exposed. He threw two second-half interceptions, both after the Eagles’ had taken a 24-21 lead, and was sacked four times. He is a nice player, but not a top-tier NFL starter.

* The Cowboys swore up and down the reason Eagles running back LeSean McCoy ran all over the place on Thanksgiving Day was as simple as blown assignments and not being where they should be. The Cowboys defense is not be imposing, but its strength has been being where they are supposed to be, and tackling.

On Thanksgiving, they did neither. McCoy ran 25 times for 159 yards. On Sunday night, McCoy was held to 64 yards on 16 carries. “Everybody was in their spot,” defensive lineman Jeremy Mincey said. “We gave up some chunks, but after we got everything corrected, we shut down the run.”

* This is getting old, but middle linebacker Rolando McClain is so good he should be an easy Pro Bowl pick. He was credited with five tackles, but he created his sack for Mincey to force another 3-and-out in the first half. McClain knows where the ball is going on seemingly every play, and is one of the best tacklers in the game.

* Few players on this team need to make their case any more than second-year safety J.J. Wilcox. He has shown a willingness to stick his nose in the run game, but his coverage and ball skills have been erratic. The Cowboys aren’t sure what he is going to be just yet – a player, or another guy. They need plays from this position.

On Sunday, Wilcox had some nice stops in run support and an interception near midfield in the second half. It was his second interception of the season.

I asked Wilcox if he felt some degree of satisfaction in winning 10 games, and he took it in a different direction. “A lot of people said we didn’t have a safety,” he said. This is true. “That was a big thing for me,” Wilcox said. “I used that as a chip on my shoulder. I think Jerry Jones and I thank the organization for giving me the chance.”

This is what we call “managing up.”

* Yes, Terrance Williams is still on the team. In the past month, the second-year receiver from Baylor was invisible but on Sunday night he had two catches, including the game’s first reception that converted a third down. He also later drew a long pass interference penalty. Williams has to get open more – he has a total of seven receptions in the past six games.

* UP NEXT: The Cowboys host the AFC South Division champion Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at JerryWorld. The last time the Colts visited the Cowboys was Nov. 19, 2006, when Peyton Manning and his buddies were 9-0. Tony Romo was making his fourth career NFL start, and the Cowboys won 21-14. The Colts have Andrew Luck at quarterback now, but their team remains offensively oriented with a suspect defense. The Cowboys can win this game.

Quote of the weektag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54f7fc4c5883301b8d0a952bf970c2014-12-15T04:00:00-06:002014-12-15T04:00:00-06:00Frank Cross: It's Christmas Eve! It's... it's the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, we... we... we smile a little easier, we... w-w-we... we... we cheer a little more. For a couple of hours out of the whole year, we are the people that...Star-Telegram

Frank Cross: It's Christmas Eve! It's... it's the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, we... we... we smile a little easier, we... w-w-we... we... we cheer a little more. For a couple of hours out of the whole year, we are the people that we always hoped we would be!

Philadelphia does have dining beyond just cheesesteakstag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54f7fc4c5883301b7c71f3bcf970b2014-12-14T09:08:08-06:002014-12-14T09:08:08-06:00PHILADELPHIA, Penn. - In an increased effort to sound both above it and pretentious, it is with great snobbery delight to inform the masses that the mussels in Phildelphia are indeed as good as those in Brussels, Belgium. But the art in this city remains just so gauche. The City...Star-Telegram

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. - In an increased effort to sound both above it and pretentious, it is with great snobbery delight to inform the masses that the mussels in Phildelphia are indeed as good as those in Brussels, Belgium.

But the art in this city remains just so gauche.

The City of Brotherly love is known for its famous cheese steaks and Italian food, but this is a solid town for a wide variety of restaurants beyond just the greatness that is Olive Garden.

The Belgian Cafe, located within a short walk of Philly's museum district, is a great choice for all-day brunch, and wide selection of beers and mussels.

Click here for The Belgian Cafe wesbite. How do you know this is an authentic Belgian style place? The French Fries are called Pomme Frites, and include the calorie-killing dipping sauce to ensure that you gain even more weight when eating fried food.

The mussels here come in a wide variety, including sausage, salmon, etc. I did the salmon, which is dumb because I generally don't like salmon. That said, the mussels here are well prepared. They are not chewy, and had the right amount of salt and seasoning.

The atmosphere in the bar is fairly dark, but it is clean and the service is good. The dining area is well-lit with a nice view of a bustling neighborhood street.

If you have done Geno's and Pat's dueling cheese steak places in South Philly, The Belgian Cafe is a solid choice.

DFW veteran TV sports reporter set to retiretag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54f7fc4c5883301bb07c3536b970d2014-12-13T06:58:29-06:002014-12-13T06:58:29-06:00By his appearance it is impossible to guess that George Riba is actually 65 years old. He looks 50, if that. The veteran sports reporter of WFAA Channel 8 remains in fantastic shape, likely because he is a veteran marathon runner. George will continue running, but his days reporting on...Star-Telegram

By his appearance it is impossible to guess that George Riba is actually 65 years old. He looks 50, if that. The veteran sports reporter of WFAA Channel 8 remains in fantastic shape, likely because he is a veteran marathon runner.

George will continue running, but his days reporting on DFW sports are about to come to an end. Riba said he plans to retire in February of 2015, thus ending a remarkable run that began at the station in 1977.

"Why not? Can't work forever," he told me. "It seemed like a good time to do something else. Not sure what that will be."

Riba began his career at WFAA in 1977 and served in nearly every single capacity the sports department could offer – anchor, director, producer, reporter, etc.

He has an unmistakable cadence and delivery that will be missed.

A graduate of Texas-Arlington, George has covered pretty much everything sports related since coming to WFAA from the Cowboys' Super Bowl runs to SMU's brightest, and darkest, days.

I asked him to recall his favorite story and, as you might imagine, picking one is not possible.

"There are so many. I know when we went with SMU to the Toyko Bowl was a lot of fun. I think that was 1983," he said. "We were there for a week and that was a blast. It's something you don't get every day. The Super Bowls are always fun, but there is so much media there."

George has not given too much thought as to what his post-WFAA career will look like, but bet he will continue running and some other work.

George and his wife, Maggie, are both avid runners and coach the weekend warriors hoping to complete their first, or second, marathons.

He is as congenial of a man as could be created, and it will be odd to attend a press conference without his presence. A great career for a great guy.

"If we had to open today - yes - that would be it," Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said on a conference call today after the team annnounced the acquisition of left-handed pitcher Ross Detwiler from the Washington Nationals.

"It's a left handed starter at a reasonable cost."

Detwiler, 28, was acquired in exchange for minor league infielder Chris Bostick and right handed pitcher Abel De Los Santos.

Detwiler was a relief pitcher last season for the Nationals, but the Rangers acquired him to be a starter. He is 20-32 with a 3.82 ERA in 132 games/69 starts in the Majors.

Not exactly Jon Lester.

The MLB offseason, specifically the last week, has been awash in moves as teams have made a myriad of trades, and signed high dollar free agents. The one team that has done almost nothing is your Texas Rangers.

Over the past few years, the Rangers have been one of the most visible and active in the offseason, which has resulted in

money spent and last season's last-place disaster.

The Rangers didn't even bother talking to the big-money players this offseason - thank God.Take this offseason as a positive sign the Rangers are not burning money. In this case, less is more. If the Rangers are going to make any type of jump the best way is not to buy their way through it but to find the improvements from within.

They want to stay around a payroll of $133 million (top 10 in MLB), but $118 million is already locked in signed players. If the Rangers are going to return to the area of 85 wins, the players who are already here will be the ones to do it.

"From a health and development standpoint the biggest impact was from our own guys," Daniels said. "We will have big time talented guys coming to camp and I'm excited about that."

Detwiler is a safe move that could have a major upside. He can pitch, he will be a free agent, and he wants to start.

As far as the potential return of starting pitchers Matt Harrison (back), Daniels said the lefty is ahead of schedule and that May is the most likely the time when he could do it. Martin Perez (Tommy John surgery) is more likely a July return.

It's not exactly Jon Lester, but the Rangers are opting for the less is more route.